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"This means someone is talking."

'This means someone is thinking to themselves.'

This means it's a flashback.

This means it's a sound effect!*

Angel in a Gilded Cage

It was another bright and sunny morning at Yūei. An air of anticipation could be felt emanating from the many students, all of them excited for their summer break to begin.

All except a certain few.

"Waaaah!" Hagakure wailed, beads of water running down her invisible face as she waved her arms and stamped her feet. "I was soooo looking forward to the caaaamp!"

Tokoyami placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down Hagakure-san. It was our fault for underestimating our opponent. There will be other trips." He assured her cooly.

"I hope you all have a good time without us, waaaah!" His silhouette blubbered, offsetting his cool air somewhat.

"T-There there, Shadow-kun…" Uraraka lightly patted his head, which prompted him to lean into her touch and cry into her shirt.

Angel watched on from her desk, giving her grieving classmates and friends a look of pity. It was the day after the end of term exams. After returning to the main complex with Uraraka that day, they spent the rest of the period spectating the last few fights, starting with the one everyone was anxious to witness, Midoriya and Bakugo versus All-Might.

She shivered. True to his word, the number one hero barely held back against the two boys, decimating entire blocks with ease, moving faster than the eye could track in spite of the many cuffs weighing him down. If that hadn't been bad enough, Bakugo made the entire endeavor much worse with how uncooperative he acted towards his partner. It made Uraraka's jealous attitude look like a tantrum with how much he threatened Midoriya if he got in his way.

Thankfully though, the two boys managed to put aside their differences long enough that they managed to incapacitate All-Might (if only temporarily) and make a break for the exit, leaving Angel and Uraraka cheering from the observation room.

Unfortunately their jubilation was muted, as the knowledge of Uraraka's failure looming over their heads. To her friends credit, she appeared to have taken her loss in stride, having accepted the punishment for what she did and planning to move forward because of it

If only the others shared her mentality.

In total, four students had failed the practical. Aside from Uraraka, there was Tokoyami and Hagakure who had lost against Present Mic at the beginning. The fourth came at a bit of a surprise as no other team lost their matches that day, rather it came as a result of friendly fire, or lightning in this case.

"AAAAGH! This is BS!" Kaminari groaned, pounding his fist against the wall.

"You did zap your teammate bro. That's what you get thinking you'd get carried to the end." Kirishima pointed out from where he was lounging with Koda, the latter seeming to have gotten more comfortable around the redhead.

'Good on you Koda-kun!' Angel smiled.

"How was I supposed to know that I'd be docked marks for that?! It's total crap and you know it! Hell, that bastard passed and it was his freakin idea!" Kaminari yelled, jabbing a finger at Todoroki who remained nonplussed.

"Don't blame me for your lack of restraint." He chided, making Kaminari whimper and scramble to pick up the shards of his shattered dignity.

Angel shook her head at the boy comically mourning the loss of his summer dreams. On one hand she agreed with the rest of the class that his failure was his own fault, but she felt sorry for him too. It must be truly sobering to be part of the twenty percent that didn't pass.

Heck, it would definitely hurt when Mineta of all people manages to win and you don't. Turned out he had a surprising amount of ingenuity, covering Aoyama's cape with his sticky hair spheres so it would incapacitate Cementoss when the blonde launched himself at the hero with his navel laser.

The rest of the teams showed just as much creativity, which paid off. Yaoyorozu and Ojiro nearly lost in the industrial zone when Principle Nezu went on a rampage in a demolition crane. In retaliation, Yaoyorozu fired on him via a naval cannon she made, loaded with paint that obscured the cockpit's windows and by extension his vision, long enough for her acrobatic teammate to scale the side and capture the headmaster.

After that was Sato and Jiro who took a much simpler approach, the latter using her sound waves to break off a section of concrete for the former to use as a shield that allowed them to get close to Snipe without getting shot.

Overall, an impressive display of teamwork and problem solving all around. Now here they were, eagerly waiting to hear the results.

Well, almost all of them.

A sudden bang and the door to the room slammed open. Aizawa trudged in, papers in hand. "Everyone to your seats. The bell means you sit down, I shouldn't have to remind you all." He grumbled, the class scrambling for their desks and sitting up straight. "Time to get this over with then. As some of you are well aware, not all of you passed yesterday's exams."

The specific teens sagged in their chairs, Angel's heart sinking at the forlorn expression on Uraraka's face.

"Which of course means that everyone who failed…" Aizawa trailed off, then raised his head to show the unrepentant grin on his face. "...is going to the training camp!"

"YEEEEES! PLOT TWIST!" Uraraka, Hagakure and Kaminari leapt from their chairs, screaming to the heavens in joy while Tokoyami just had a more fitting look of restrained astonishment.

Iida jumped up, arm pointed rigidly in the air. "Sensei! What is the meaning of this?! Did you not say that those who failed the practical would and I quote: "Kiss the training camp goodbye"!"

"Let me explain. First, not a single one of you flunked any of your written tests. Out of the whole class, only Kaminari, Hagakure, Uraraka and Tokoyami failed. The reasoning behind the exam was to test how you would each react in a fight or flight scenario, giving you multiple avenues to win so you wouldn't fail as soon as you hit an seemingly unbeatable obstacle. We weren't going to force you to fight All-Might if you didn't want to. We hinted at putting the camp at risk to give you agency, but the facility is more like a boot camp really. Anyone who failed would need it the most. Therefore, I made another logical ruse."

"ANOTHER ONE?!" The class complained.

Angel let out an aggravated sigh. 'That's Aizawa-sensei for you. Bending the rules when it suits him.'

Iida took the news especially hard, slamming his head on his desk. "Not again! Still sensei, can you please refrain from telling us white lies in the future? You'll compromise our trust!"

"I'll think about it. That being said, I wasn't lying about everything, especially about failing grades." He stated, the three rejoicing students freezing in place. "There still needs to be consequences for inadequate performances or unacceptable behavior." They all wilted, Uraraka shrinking a little at that last part. "All four of you will be taking remedial lessons on top of the physical training, so don't expect much time for rest or fun times."

'There it is.' Angel thought. If she knew one thing from the last several years, it was that if something seemed too good to be true, that was usually because it was. Still, not the harshest punishment and at least they still got to go.

"Now with that settled, take some time to go over these pamphlets." Aizawa continued, holding up the stack of paper. "Make sure to prepare everything you will need on this trip. If you forget soap, you can't use mine."

The day moved on and classes began, though hardly anyone was paying attention. Now that the entire class's attendance to the training camp had been confirmed, their minds were too occupied to be listening to the supplementary material. Angel included.

Her leg bounced anxiously the whole day, musings of what lay in store running rampant through her head. She had never been to any kind of camp before, let alone a training one.

There was those few nights she and the Raiders spent in the Mexican Badlands she supposed. Though she wasn't certain if sleeping outdoors while on the lamb really counted. She wouldn't have to worry about checking her shoes for scorpions this time at least.

This trip she had little idea of what to expect. The only basis of information she had would have to be the books and shows she enjoyed over the years. Though she questioned the authenticity, as they were usually self-contained stories wrapped in single episodes or chapters, typically about some lesson of independence from modern comforts and the like, ending in chaos.

She shouldn't be expecting for their camp to get invaded by a wild grizzly bear, right? Then again, it was Yūei who had a persistent habit of being anything but average.

Regardless, despite having little to go on Angel couldn't help but feel oddly excited. Contrary to popular belief, she appreciated distance from technology when she didn't need it. Going to a forest lodge in the middle of nowhere? It sounded like a digital deadzone, giving her an opportunity to relax. Not to mention whatever group activities the class would partake in. It would be a parade of firsts for her and she couldn't wait.

Little did she know that she would get one so soon.

The bell rang and the final class ended. Aizawa reminded the students to look over the pamphlets and prepare everything they would need, then departed. The instant he left, the class jumped from their seats and began to chat animatedly.

"Isn't this great? We both get to go after all Ura-chan!" She said while she approached her friend's desk.

" Yeah! I'm sooo relieved!" Uraraka beamed back, then grimaced. "Even if I have to take extra lessons. I really hope it won't be math!"

Angel laughed, patting her on the shoulder. "I could tag in for you if it gets too hard, if you want."

Her friend waved her off. "Thank you, but no thank you. I brought this on myself, I need to deal with it." She answered in a resigned, yet determined tone.

"A one week training camp then? I don't think I've got that long without studying before." Iida murmured, reading over the pamphlet for what to be the tenth time today.

"Wow, look at all the stuff they recommend!" Midoriya pointed at the list. "It's a serious trip away from home. I don't even have half of this stuff!"

"Me either." Kaminari said, consulting his own sheet. "Bug spray, sunscreen, sports wear. That's a lot of stuff to buy."

Many class members nearby voiced their similar plight while Angel just nodded along. She had never gone on an excursion like this before (or at least officially), so her supply of outdoor paraphernalia was very lacking.

"Hey, I got an idea!" Everyone turned as Hagakure jumped into the conversation. "Tomorrow is a day off and we don't need to study anymore, how about we all go shopping together?"

The class paused and considered it.

"That's a great idea, we can help each other find what we need!"

"It just occurred to me that we've never actually done anything like this before. Isn't that weird?"

"Not exactly, some of us went to the arcade a few weeks ago, but the whole class?"

"Yo! Bakubro, you come too!"

"I can barely stand you all in classes, you really think I could take shopping?"

"You should come as well Todoroki-kun!"

"No thanks Midoriya. I visit the hospital on days off."

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Uraraka cheered from next to Angel and she had to agree. A day of hanging out with the entire class?

"Sign me up!"

The next day Angel and the rest of the class (barring Todoroki and Bakugo) stood at the entrance of a grand outdoor shopping complex. It was the first time she had ever seen them outside of their school uniforms and costumes, now dressed in their casual wear. She herself was in a plain blue t-shirt and pants, the latter she was starting to regret a little thanks to the bright sun overhead.

"With hundreds of shops around, it's the mall that has everything a bunch of bright faced youths could ask for! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Kiyashi-ward shopping center!" Ashido declared with a joyful flourish.

Four floors of stores connected by bridges and escalators, all packed to the brim with people going about their day. It was unlike anything Angel had ever seen. She was so in awe, that it took her a moment to register the huge crowds. A tremor rose in her stomach, but she took a deep breath.

She was here with her friends, she could do this.

"Damn, look at all these stores!" Mineta gaped.

"Hey, you with the big calves! We are having a sale on specially made track pants!"

"Are your ears, horns or antenna keeping your head bare? Come to HoleHats!"

"Specialty made gloves for twenty percent off! Keep your furniture and drapes unshredded!" A few store criers went about advertising their wares and handing out leaflets.

"Amazing, I've never shopped at specialty apparel stores before!" Midoriya muttered, swiftly falling into a fascinated rambling as he usually did. "Rather than try to cover all bases of quirk related problems with a large inventory size, they find a overarching niche they can exploit, therefore avoiding too much competition and-"

"Please refrain from going off on tangents Midoriya-kun, people will look at you strange." Tokoyami warned him.

"Hey, wait! Is that?! It is! The freshman from the Yūei festival! You guys were awesome!" A bunch of highschool boys hollered, giving them ecstatic waves.

"Geez, there's still people who remember us!" Uraraka laughed nervously then turned to Angel. "Are you okay with all these people here?"

She nodded, trying to shake the jittering from her system. "Y-Yeah. I should be f-fine! As long as there isn't another s-stampede."

"I doubt that'll happen, but even if it did, I'll be here for ya!" Uraraka assured her with a wink.

Angel smiled back, relieved. "Thanks."

"Alright guys!" Kirishima clapped his hands. "Looks like we all need different things. Let's all split up and meet back here in a few hours!"

With that, the class began to divide into small groups for those with similar interests.

"So what do you girls want to start with? I know all the best stores in this place!" Ashido asked, bounding over looking absolutely thrilled.

"I'm on a bit of a budget, but I think I'll be treating myself to a new pair of hiking shoes." Uraraka answered, tapping her worn sneakers off the pavement. "What about you Angel-chan?"

"Mox…" She stopped herself, catching Mineta out of the corner of her eye. "...MMM-Mom lent me her card for today, so I'm covered to get everything I'll need, but where do I even begin?" She said, gesturing around. "This place is so big and I've never shopped before, I don't know where to start!"

Ashido froze. "Hold up." She stepped closer, her black and gold eyes wide with shock. "You've NEVER gone shopping before?! Not even for clothes?!"

"U-Um… no." Angel muttered, glancing away awkwardly. "It's kinda why I'm wearing this right now. I don't have any summer clothes." She gestured at her current ensemble. She had first arrived at the end of fall and was still reeling from the process of fleeing the country, so Moxxi had prioritized heavier, comfier clothes when she went shopping for her.

She didn't think anything was wrong with that, but Ashido took it less well, dramatically staggering back in horror.

"Okay, we are fixing this, right now! Hagakure-chan, Kyo-chan, Momo-chan! We've got a fashion emergency!" She called the three girls over.

Hagakure snapped into a salute. "Private Hagakure reporting for duty!"

"What is the nature of this emergency?" Yaoyorozu politely inquired.

"Yeah, Momo and I were going to start looking for travel bags." Jiro added.

"Angel-chan here has no summer clothes! We need to rectify this crime immediately!"

"Huh?" Angel blinked and before she knew it, Hagakure and Ashido had grabbed her by the arms. "Huh?! Wait, y-you don't need to do this! I-I'll be fine by myself!"

"It's okay to be brave Angel-chan, but you don't have to face this nightmare on your own any longer!" Ashido announced valiantly.

"Yeah, let's go!" The invisible girl on her left added and they started pulling her along.

"Wait! Lemme go! Ura-chan! Help!" She yelped, looking to her friend for aid, only to be betrayed judging by the determined grin and steam shooting from her nose.

"Don't worry! I'm coming too!" She ran after them, quickly followed by Jiro and Yaororozu.

"You should probably just give up at this point. Once those two get pumped up over something there isn't anything they'll not see through to the end." The punk told her.

"Except for mathematics and sciences apparently." The tall honor student added.

Looking over her shoulder she spotted her male friends standing there awkwardly, out of their depth when it came to the opposite sex. Iida gave her an unhelpful shrug and Midoriya waved farewell.

She was on her own.

'Crap.' She thought, ceasing her struggle and just let herself get dragged away.

Ashido proceeded to lead the posse and their captive through the mall, their manner of which got them more than a few odd looks. After going up an escalator and along a walkway, they finally reached a glitzy women's clothing store.

Despite her situation, Angel took a moment to take it all in. Racks hung and stood everywhere, even off the walls. They were laden with apparel of all kinds and all shapes and sizes. A large majority were brightly colored and flashily patterned, which explained Ashido's choice of establishment.

"Here we are!" Ashido said as they reached the center of the store, where the girl's finally released their prisoner. "You wait here Angel-chan! Everyone else, split up and find an outfit!"

"Roger!" The girls chanted and the circle broke up, leaving Angel by her lonesome, boggled out of her mind. She was like a fish so far out of water that it was in the stratosphere.

Then again…

Turning her head, she spotted two girls her age taking a blouse off a rack, one of them holding it over her and the other applauding emphatically. They seemed to be having a lot of fun.

That was right. This was another aspect of the average life she never had a chance to experience. She was here with friends and they wanted to help her out. Might as well try to have fun with it.

"This one! No wait, this one!"

"I don't think it'll work with her complexion, Hagakure-chan."

"But it's sooo cute!"

Angel swallowed.

'Just hope I don't regret this.'

A few minutes later, her friends returned with a veritable mountain of clothes. They then took her to the back of the store to the change stalls. The concept of stripping down and changing clothes in a small closet in a public space was a weird concept for Angel, but she had little choice in the matter as she was shoved in with some clothes.

"J-Jeez, it's cold in here!" She shivered.

"Come on, come on!" She could hear Hagakure hopping around.

"You okay in there?" Mina asked.

"Give her a minute, calm down." Jiro chided.

"O-Okay, I think I've got this right. I-I'm coming out!" Angel pulled the curtain open to a chorus of oo's. The outfit consisted of a light blue t-shirt with a repeating wave pattern running from the bottom up to her chest and a matching pair of navy blue shorts. It was light and comfortable and showed off the markings on her arm and leg.

"Oooh! Not bad! I like it Ura-chan!"

"It's simple but cute!"

"I thought it'd look good with her tattoos." Uraraka explained bashfully. "What do you think Angel-chan?"

She looked at herself in the mirror, turning this way and that to get a good angle. "I think I like it!"

"Yes! One point for Uravity!"

"Hey no one said it was going to be a contest." Jiro weighed in.

"Good, because I'm going to beat you girls silly!" Hagakure boasted.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling it Toru-chan." Jiro shook her head.

"It's a bit… much, isn't it?" Yaoyorozu agreed.

"Oh come on! What are you talking about?! She's adorable!" The invisible girl protested.

"I feel like I got puked on by a rainbow." Angel muttered, now dressed in a fluffy cotton sweater colored every vibrant hue you could think of, matched with a magenta skirt and striped stockings.

"And what's wrong with that?! You've got something wrong with my style?!"

"Nothing is wrong with liking lots of color Toru-chan, it just suits you more. Angel-chan is a little too pale for it, ya'know?"

"I'm guessing this is Jiro-chan, right?" Angel asked, looking over herself adorned in a dark purple blouse, a black leather jacket overtop with silver stud for the buttons. Her legs were wrapped in fishnet leggings which felt weird in how it stretched over her skin and a pair of leather boots on her feet.

"I'll take that as a compliment." The punk girl smirked.

"Oooh, not bad!" Uraraka hummed.

"I dunno, I think the fishnets clash with the tattoos, it's a lot of stuff in one place." Yaoyorozu pointed out, getting a nod from Jiro.

"Yeah, that occurred to me afterward. Eh, I tried."

"I actually like the blouse and jacket combo thing though." Angel offered.

"Well too bad, cuz I'm not letting you steal my look." Jiro retorted, making them laugh.

"I-I think there's been a mistake." Angel stammered, leaving the stall dressed in a luxurious, red, sleeved dress, the bottom reaching past her knees. A fabric rose of some kind was sown into the sash tied around her waist, complete with several lacey frills running down the legs. The material felt soft and soothing to the touch. Her feet were crammed into a pair of matching red heels, making her question how the heck Moxxi could stand wearing them everywhere.

"Oh no, that's my choice." Yaoyorozu raised a hand. "And you look precious in that!"

"Wait, they sell dresses here?! I never knew that!" Ashido gaped.

"That's… a lot of frills." Jiro muttered.

"Weren't we shopping for summer clothes for the camping trip?!" Angel questioned but was ignored, the original purpose of this excursion lost to them.

"I think it looks nice! No harm in getting a dress here or there. Hm, let's see." Uraraka reached up and grabbed the tag on the back of the neck. "How much does it-ACK!" Her eyes bugged out and she promptly collapsed.

"Ura-chan!" The girls collectively screeched, diving down to make sure their friend was alright. The store's other patrons all watched them try to resuscitate the girl on the floor.

"Ura-chan, speak to me!" Ashido held her, lightly slapping her rosy cheek.

"T-T-Th-Thirty… t-thirty thousand! H-How many ramen packs?" She babbled, yen signs spinning in her eyes.

Angel jolted at the apparent value of her current outfit.

All heads turned to Yaoyorozu, who looked worried.

"O-Oh… is that too expensive?" She asked, unintentionally reminding the group of how wealthy her background was, not out of any form of malicious but innocent ignorance.

Jiro looked at the dress in fearful reverence, as if it might fall apart if the wrong wind blew. "Angel-chan, how about you take that off and we can put it back… really carefully."

Once the excessively valuable dress had been removed from Angel's person and returned, she moved onto the next outfit on the pile, much to her dismay.

It was Ashido's turn and per the formula that seemed to come into existence, her personal taste influenced her decision making.

Which explained why Angel was now dressed in a pink zebra print t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts. One might wonder, why was that such a problem? Sure, the shirt's patterning was offensive to the eye, but how was that an issue?

It wasn't the shirt, it was the shorts, or as Angel would come to learn, short shorts. Unlike the ones Uraraka chose, these came all the way up halfway past her thigh, leaving Angel blushing madly at how much skin was exposed. She hadn't realized how short they were until she had put them on. She had never worn anything so… so daring before!

Moxxi wasn't nearby with a camera was she?

"N-N-No! I'm definitely not taking these!" Angel refused, desperately trying to cover her legs with her hands.

"Whaaaaat?! Come on girl, they look great on you! You've got nice legs, you should show them off!" Ashido cheered.

"I-I think I agree with Angel-chan here. It's a little too much for her." Uraraka said, coming to her friend's rescue.

"That's right!" Hagakure chimed in. "It's up to Angel-chan on what she's comfortable wearing, especially when it comes to showing off her body! It's her own choice and we should respect that!"

Everyone stared at the invisible girl, bewildered by the sudden insight from one of their more flighty classmates. It was pretty admirable, yet odd coming from the girl whose hero costume consisted of a pair of gloves and boots.

"Aw okay." Ashido drooped.

Angel took the opportunity to speak up. "T-This was fun guys, b-but I think I'm going to take a break for now." She said, still a bit frazzled by her attire.

"That's fair." Jiro told her. "I'd say it's our turn anyway. Change back while you wait okay?"

Angel nodded, thankful for the out and dove into the stall. A moment later she was back in her original clothes and she breathed a sigh of relief, taking a seat on a nearby stool. She waited as her friends went off and returned with more clothes, thankfully not for her this time and took turns changing and showing off what they found. Though she was way out of her element, eventually Angel started to throw in her own opinion and suggestions of what they wore.

The funny thing was that she slowly began to enjoy the whole thing. Aside from the embarrassing bit with the short shorts, she had fun pulling the offered clothes on, checking how they looked in the mirror and to hear what her friends had to say. Now that she was on the opposite end, she could experience the whole package and she now understood the other girl's excitement.

The act of trying new things and sharing that experience with others, that was the value of this occasion, more than the actual clothes themselves. It was a memory, one that she would likely cherish in the future and she hoped that it wouldn't be the last.

And so she reveled in her friend's laughter and her own, the weight of her problems feeling that much lighter for a time.

Which meant it was only a matter of time before they reared their ugly head once more.

She hadn't seen it coming, she rarely ever did. It was like the world found new ways to remind her. This time it came in the form of a light tap on the shoulder.

"Hey, Angel-chan?"

She blinked and looked up to see Yaoyorozu standing over her, wearing an eager smile and holding her hands behind her back. "I was looking around and I found something that would look great on you!"

She snickered a little. "Thanks Momo-chan, but I'm done trying things on today."

Her taller friend pouted, it was hard to imagine her as their serious vice class-representative when she looked like that. Kinda of like a cat who acted serious and aloof in one moment, then turned into a total softy at the drop of a hat.

"Please? For me? I really want to see you in it." She gently pleaded. "I even took care to look at the price tag this time! It's only four digits long this time!"

Angel sighed. A cat alright, right down to the begging. She rolled her eyes playfully. "Alright, one more. What's the harm?"

Yaoyorozu beamed and brought her prize forth, a soft cotton sundress. "Ta-da!"

Angel's breath hitched the second her eyes landed on it.

"Yeah, red and black were a little grim. Yellow POPS better, don't you think?"

Her body moved, springing up and swatting the article from Yaoyorozu's hand to the floor, the hanger clattering to the floor.

Her friend staggered back in shock. "W-Wha?! Why did..? Are… are you okay Angel-chan?"

Her words fell on deaf ears, the rush of blood drowning out all other sounds in Angel's ears. For a moment she just stood there, staring down at the dress on the floor. Then she remembered where she was and glanced about, seeing Yaoyorozu's concerned face and the rest of their friends, paused mid browsing as they noticed something was wrong.

Sweat ran down her brow.

"I…I need some air." She sputtered and tore out of the room. She could briefly hear someone yell her name, maybe Uraraka, but she just kept running. She weaved through smattering of people along the walkway, adrenaline overriding her fear of crowds for the time being. The path seemed to stretch on forever and eventually her lungs told her to stop. Stumbling a bit from exhaustion, she slowed and slumped over the railing.

Guilt and frustration filled her while she hung her head, her hair swinging in the breeze. All because of the color of that dress.

That soft golden yellow.

That was his favorite.

The thought of it alone made her sick to her stomach.

A dry chuckle escaped her.

Figures. Even after all this time, after all the progress she's made, a primary color was enough to set her off.

Now Uraraka and company will be worried for her, wondering where she went and why she left in such a panic. Yaoyorozu will probably think she did something horrendously wrong, when it couldn't be further from the truth. She was just trying to be a good friend.

Should she go back? Or maybe it'd just be easier if she stayed where she was for a second, catch her breath? She liked that idea.

Lifting her head, she ran her hands over her face. She let out a puff of air and started looking around for the smallest chance of something to keep her mind off things for a while.

Call it a habit from "the old days", but she found something relaxing about watching people go about their business. But you know, not in the creepy stalker way.

She laughed at the sight of a mother getting lead by the hand by who she assumed was her child, jumping up and down at the many stores and their wares.

After a few minutes of doing this, she felt that she was doing a lot better. Now it was time to go back so she could face the music.

Then something caught her eye and she stopped. A recognizable head of green.

'Midoriya?' She wondered, leaning back over the railing and squinting. Sure enough, it was him, sitting on a bench under a planted tree. He wasn't alone. Seated closely on his left was another individual, a man she guessed, dressed in black pants and a hoodie. It obscured his face, only some pale blue hair was visible. The two of them were sitting very close to each other, one of the larger man's arms draped over her friend's shoulders.

Was it someone Midoriya knew? A friend outside of Yūei perhaps? Who knew? At the very least nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

Her finger tapped off the railing.

And yet… she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

That was more than enough motivation for her to push off and start jogging back the direction she came, then jump on the descending escalator. She gently pushed through the throngs around her, getting a few disgruntled "Heys!" and the like, to which she gave hurried apologies.

Reaching the bottom, she stepped off the automated staircase and briskly started moving, maneuvering past bystanders as fast she could. As soon as she got within twenty feet, her fears were confirmed.

Her friend was sweating from head to foot and seemed to be struggling to breath due to the dry, calloused hand gripping his neck, all but one of the stranger's fingers closed around his throat. The fifth was waving back and forth and for some reason it gave her the image of a swinging guillotine, just waiting for the rope to be released.

"Izuku..?" She croaked.

Both heads turned to her and Angel's blood froze, finally getting a clear look at the mysterious figure's visage, one that she had never seen but she still recognized.

He didn't have the hand covering his face, but she would never forget those eyes.

"Shigaraki..!"